AN: OMG I've come back to life! (For now, anyway...) I apologize for being away, but I really have no time right now. :(
So, to hopefully make up for my absence, I have an EXTRA-LONG, WTF-WHAT-DID-I-JUST-WRITE ONE-SHOT! Haha. Yeah, this thing was kind of humongous and because it didn't make much sense to break it in half I left it as is. So please enjoy guys. :)
Summary: Inspired by Glowing Blue's Peeping Tom. Toushirou and Karin's love story from the perspectives of those who know them and a few who don't.
Side Note: Even my by standards, I find this ridiculously long so there's that. A reviewer from a previous story (whose name escapes me right now so I'm sorry!) reminded me that spirits only lose their memories once they become hollows and not when they die. In the case of the little boy that Chad meets and is looking for his family, his memories are intact, though fading because of time. I used this concept in the story, just in case anyone was wondering why certain events occur the way they do. Also, I just wanted to make clear that this isn't really another version of the wonderful one-shot Peeping Tom, but that story sparked this idea and thus the credit goes to the amazing writer who wrote it. ;) Thank you for letting me leech of you a little, Glowing Blue~
Matsumoto wonders if her taichou is as transparent as he is young.
Oh sure, by human standards he's an old man, but he's definitely an infant in spirit years. Despite that disgruntled frown and deceptively deep voice, Hitsugaya Toushirou is about as much of a man as any other boy who looked his age, human or otherwise. The truth is that he's only better at hiding that youthful naiveté behind a displeased expression, arms crossed over his chest as he barks out successive orders and keeps the Tenth Division running like a well-oiled machine.
So imagine her surprise when she finds her adorable little captain staring down from a rooftop in the middle of the park, eyes subdued and looking distinctly more thoughtful and much less disdained. It's a handsome expression, Rangiku thinks to herself, despite the childish roundness of his cheeks and nearly bemused look on his face. One day he'll be a man who'll have every woman at his feet, but today's he's still the youngest genius in over a millennium to hold a captain's position and that's all she can see him as, for now.
Deciding not to disturb him, Matsumoto's blue gaze follows his downwards to an open field, the mix of families and children and elderly couples blending together to the point of saturation. A part of her wonders what's so fascinating about the high school couple holding hands or the family of four walking down the street, all looking happy but more or less interchangeable with anyone else in the world.
And then she sees her.
At first Matsumoto is sure the kid in front of her is male, with the way the angled bob dances below her earlobes and the less-than-flattering outfit that only a prepubescent boy would consider fashionable. So when she hears that contrasting voice, one that's not quite high enough to be girly but with enough of an alto to be distinctly rich and feminine, it takes all of Matsumoto's patience to not jump down, grab the tomboy by her shoulders and demand to know what she's done to capture Hitsugaya-taichou's attention so severely.
"Oh, Taichou, I didn't know you had a thing for human girls," she sing-songs, the conspirator's tone not lost on her overly observant companion.
He snaps to attention. "It's not like that, Matsumoto." The slight growl to his voice belies something deeper, a secret that he's keeping under wraps at the moment. But if he thinks that a light command will convince her of anything, then Rangiku is mildly insulted. He should know better by now that his orders are barely more than suggestions and she'll continue to treat them as such.
Before she can weasel a little more information out of him, her captain is already turning to leave, looking even more irritable than usual. As he jumps down from the ledge, her lips turn downward, curiosity spiking as she gives the boyish human girl one last look. She notes that while they're two very different people, they were also balanced in both look and nature, as the fierceness of the child's face blossoms into a wry grin at a well-executed play.
If nothing else, she's interesting, Matsumoto muses, going to follow her commanding officer. She must be if she's got Hitsugaya-taichou looking at her as if he may never meet another person like her again.
It's only the second time he's met Toushirou, but deep down Usaka Kazuya has the distinct feeling it won't be the last. He's sure his other friends don't see it—and if he didn't have a boy-crazed older sister, he doubts he'd notice it either—but he has no trouble seeing that it's there.
As he watches Karin speak excitedly to the newcomer, he finds that she puts on a brave face, happy to see relief in the form of the smaller, light-haired boy. His hands are stuffed in his pockets and the scowl on his face is in place as per usual, as he says something that immediately has their captain frowning. Most likely he's turned down her proposal to join them, despite the heavy gap between the two teams and the obvious aid he'd provide.
But Toushirou's countenance shifts when his eyes are drawn to Kurosaki's damaged leg, narrowing dangerously with both concern and silent fury. The look is so fierce that Kazuya himself is nearly afraid of the other boy, taking a step back when he sees the dark expression, and is only mildly surprised that Karin doesn't do the same. Instead, her hand waves him off, looking more embarrassed about the injury than upset, as if it was her fault and not some older boy's ploy to keep her down. But she's a strong one, with a force as unrelenting as the sea and a fire not easily doused by another's actions or words.
Their continued exchange has undertones to it that somehow speak volumes, as they keep a safe distance from each other and discuss in quiet words. On the outside, it's normal, mundane even, to the untrained eye, a business transaction that could go one way or the other. But to him, he can almost see the chemistry bubbling beneath the surface; the way Karin's eyes seem to light up when he agrees to sub in, the fleeting but amused grin on Toushirou's face when he tags one of the other's hands, it seems to thicken the air around them in a barrier made for two.
After that, the match is one-sided, an all-out assault against the middle schoolers who thought themselves so much better. But even though they're all on the field and doing their parts, everyone can see it's between Karin and Toushirou that the real teamwork lies, as he races forward and she supports him from behind. But what really gets Kazuya is that final goal where the bleach-haired boy nudges the ball to her with only a few seconds to go.
And in that moment, he can see that out of anyone on their team, no one believes in Karin quite as much as Toushirou.
Their victory is as sweet as it is unexpected, as Kazuya grabs Ryohei in a hug and nearly cries in glee. But he doesn't because not even Kurosaki's shedding a tear, though he can't see her while his eyes are closed. He's sure that she's standing near Hitsugaya, letting down her pride and thanking him for coming when they were sure they were beaten. All of the boys want to do the same but then the dusk's cool air becomes constricting and everyone suddenly blacks out.
When he comes to, Kazuya sits up with a whine, wondering just what happened. Eyeing his friends, he sees that all of them are fine, though they're all yelling at each other and wondering why they'd lost consciousness in the first place. None of them seem to notice that Karin's missing except him, as his eyes move towards the center of the dirt field, jaw going slack when he sees that a crater has destroyed the once-intact dirt.
As he stands up to ask her if she's alright, he stops himself when he gets a good look at her profile. Her usually hardened features and sarcastic glare have softened, making her look much more like the girl that they pretend she isn't. And somewhere off into the distance, that gray gaze is following after something—or someone, he silently figures out—that no one else can see. As he turns away from the dreamy look, he decides that a bit of privacy is what she deserves right now, as he moves to tend to his teammates.
Oh, she's a special one, Granny Haru ponders as she looks over at Toushirou and his little friend. And she doesn't mean in a merely 'also sees spirits' kind of way. It's the way she makes the shinigami boy frown as if just her being next to him is dreadfully annoying, breaking that diamond hard shell with precision that many cannot imitate. It's the way she smiles at him, irresistibly bright and uninhibited, and while he doesn't return it the old woman sees how much peace it brings him.
It's the way she sees him as Toushirou the boy and not the powerful shinigami that makes Granny Haru's heart light.
As the girl named Karin goes over to start a conversation with the usually shy Yosuke, Haru-baa-chan takes a seat beside her young (or is it old?) friend, smoothing out the wrinkles in her skirt as she does so. Hitsugaya doesn't bat an eyelash, only continues to pop in a few more amanatto and pretend that doesn't have one eye on his companion at all times.
"What a nice girlfriend you've gotten, Toushirou," she can't help but tease, giggling behind her hand as Karin attempts to lure out the Whole from the bushes. Although she doubts the little spirit will do so, Granny is grateful for the effort since she often feels inadequate in providing the kind of play a boy his age needs.
A distinct choking sound comes from her left. "W-what?"
"Oh ho, did I hit a nerve?" Haru says with a smile, watching the other turn pink and then bright red beneath her all-seeing stare. Toushirou puts up a good fight, denying with vigor and gesturing at his dark-haired tag-along as if them as a couple could never happen. And while she has no doubt that it would be a difficult union, Granny Haru isn't nearly as convinced as Hitsugaya is. Sometimes the things that make two people so incompatible are the things that hold the relationship together.
And while it's certainly nothing but friendship at best, the old woman has an eye for these things. After seeing so many spirits come and go from this world and watching the living carry on with their own lives, Granny Haru has seen her fair share of lovers torn apart by bitter jealousy, rotten circumstances and the like. The rift between Karin and Toushirou isn't a slight crack that can be fixed with a little cement and hard work, but a canyon of rules and taboos and impossibilities.
But every partnership proves their mettle when the odds are against them, and she witnesses them pass their test with flying colors. Even in her weakened state, the old lady sees Karin put herself before the monster Yosuke has become, knowing that the girl is speaking to him as the person he was and not the Hollow that has taken form. It's only with her words that she convinces Toushirou that their friend is still somewhere behind that mask and black aura.
That day, Haru is sure that Karin saves Yosuke from a terrible, unwarranted death, one unfitting the soft child that he was. And it's from this realization that she gathers that Karin may save Toushirou from his lonely solitude as well, but only if he'd let her.
Trapped in a block of ice with his hands literally frozen stiff, Yukio can't believe their plan has come to this. Although he hopes that the other members of Xcution have done better than him, somehow he doubts it. They were willing to take on Soul Society head-first to gain power that they'd believed was rightfully theirs, but now he can see that it was a huge bust, a misguided endeavor at rebellion at best. Needless to say, he won't be taking orders from anyone who has some old grudge against the biggest fish in the little pond again.
After being transported to a little grassy area by the ruthless little hellion masquerading as a shinigami captain, his eyes go to a small dome covering a gazebo outside the mansion. Inside he can see slumbering figures, people he recognizes as Ichigo's friends and family. His fingers itch to press a few buttons on his console to mess with the captive group, protected only by a flimsy barrier and the icy reaper. He has no doubt that a good distraction will guarantee his getaway.
"Don't even think about it."
Somehow a shiver still manages to crawl up his spine, as the blonde looks over at his guard's discontented countenance. His arms are crossed over his chest and that blue scarf of his is barely skirting the tips of the green beneath his feet. The fact that he's been defeated by a child only manages to anger him more, the heat of embarrassment and anger fending off the fear that strikes his heart. Shutting his mouth, Yukio decides to bide his time with the elite soldier.
Shuffling from the marquee is heard, as both boys shift their gazes to the sound. From what he can tell, one of Ichigo's little sisters—the black-haired one who oftentimes wore an unusually glossy but intelligent gleam in her eyes—has awoken, groaning as she sits up slowly and rubs her face, sighing loudly to herself. When she spots the two outside of the force field, her eyes show no recognition of either of them. And then Yukio realizes it.
Tsukishima's memory-tapping hasn't worn off yet.
A small glow of hope fills his chest, as he looks over at the shinigami and sneers in something vaguely related to triumph. "She doesn't remember you."
The listener raises a brow carefully, questioning his words.
"That girl, Ichigo's little sister," Yukio begins easily enough, tilting his head in challenge, "If she knows any of you shinigami, she won't remember anything about you. Her memories have been… compromised, for lack of a better word, and who knows if she'll ever get them back." He holds his ground against his white-haired rival, even as emerald darkens to forest green, something akin to hatred burning in his eyes. Ah, so he does know her. And not only that, he's quite protective of the little chit, if the way his hand is reflexively clenching as if to calm himself means anything. He can use this to his advantage.
"What's going on here?" comes an oddly feminine voice, cracking slightly from disuse. As they snap their heads in her direction, they see the Kurosaki girl leaning against a pillar, watching the two suspiciously. Her eyes go straight to Hitsugaya. "Who are you, and why's that other kid in a block of ice?"
Yukio catches the slightly stunned look that flits across the other's face, combining with what he's sure is disappointment and a bit of anger. Anger at Tsukishima and his terrifying ability, he guesses, plus the crushing weight of being wiped clean from her thoughts.
"Aah, so you really can't remember him, can you?" he taunts mockingly, lips filling with unadulterated mirth. The scowl he gets from his captor does nothing to dampen his spirits, especially when dark gray eyes move to his form. Reluctantly he can admit that the stupid soul reaper might actually have decent taste in women, if nothing else, as he takes in her natural, slightly ambiguous appeal.
"Remember who? Who the hell are you guys?" Karin demands, drawing herself up despite her weakened body and taking a defensive stance. From the corner of his eye, he sees the other male move forward, not sure if he was going to tell her to back away or soothe her ruffled feathers. For some reason, a part of him thinks that doing the former pretty much equaled the latter when it came to this particular spitfire.
"Stand down, Karin. When the time is right, Urahara-san will brief you and the others fully. For now you need to rest," Hitsugaya explains mildly, carefully, as if tiptoeing around a wild tiger. It's strange that he can handle a member of Xcution with nothing but a few swings of his sword, but a little girl has him on his best behavior. Yukio can't help but feel a little offended.
"How do you know my name?" she replies scathingly, eyes narrowed as she takes a few steps back, not out of fear but as if she'll pounce on him any moment. It's something Yukio would pay good money to see, but he doubts the other boy holds the same sentiments. "You haven't even answered my question! Who the hell are you guys?"
Turning his head away, Toushirou's shoulders sag as if defeated, running a hand through his longer locks and gripping the roots. Amusement at the other's painful dilemma only has the gamer chuckling to himself before it becomes a full-on cackle, gaining an audience at the outburst. Truly, this might just be the sweetest revenge against his opponent. The little captain may have won their battle but the war had yet to be decided, if one was judging by the anxious and bemused expression on the teenage girl. He might suffer for a few moments, but Hitsugaya will hurt for as long as her memories remain unchanged.
"She'll never be the same, you know." Choking down a maniacal guffaw, his happy blue eyes crinkle at the edges, the cool façade of the death reaper cracking into pieces at his feet. "I have no idea what relationship you might've had with her, but whatever it was is gone now. Every moment you've shared has been tainted and destroyed, most likely replaced by Tsukishima-san's embodiment." A sinister grin splits across his features. "How does it feel to know that the girl you care so much about remembers another man in your place?"
In a flash, all he sees is a glint of light reflecting off Hyourinmaru's blade. "One more word and I'll kill you." Oh, how the mighty have fallen, and over someone as minute and insignificant as a female halfing. But while Yukio would love to say something else, he bites his tongue instead and lets his annoyingly wide smile do the talking for him. It only takes a moment to see that it's much more effective than words.
"Oi, what're you doing?" When Hitsugaya doesn't turn, only tightens his grip on the light blue of his hilt, the youngest member of Xcution can hear the girl's voice carry itself, harsh and reprimanding. "You're not supposed to threaten people who've already been contained! Only cowards do things like that!" To further her point (and irritate the young spirit a little more), Yukio snorts in affirmative, wanting to nod except the dangerously close proximity of the weapon to his jugular deters him. Interestedly, he watches as Hitsugaya reinserts his zanpakto into his sheath, grumbling something beneath his breath as he turns his gaze to a righteous-looking Karin.
Taking a few steps in her direction, the icy taichou is stopped by the opening of a senkaimon only meters away, the white light blinding the three for a moment. In seconds, there's an outpouring of unranked soldiers, approaching Hitsugaya with a salute and an obvious need for orders. The timing is far from perfect and Yukio can see that the interruption grates on the small boy's already frayed nerves, as he gives them strict instructions to take his prisoner back to Seireitei for questioning.
As he's carried off, howling indignant protests into the night sky, he sees Toushirou approach the girl with that serious mask put back in place. Despite his grumblings and the shinigami officers' yells to tell him to shut it, he cranes his neck to watch the two part, one looking so obviously reluctant and the other honestly unsure of what do to next. The last thing he sees before he's completely taken into the Precipice World is the young commander raising his hand to the invisible wall, as if reaching out to touch her. Even he can see that he's making a promise to recover the bits of her forgotten past, as futile as the task is.
A part of Yukio snarls, wanting to break free and make sure her mind remained absent of his presence, if only to taunt his adversary with that knowledge. How painful it is be to be reduced to nothing but a minor alteration in some girl's head, as easily adjustable as the spin of a dial. However, as an outsider looking in, he doesn't understand that their bond is stronger than a stab of a Fullbring and a stranger's convoluted plan for revenge. He cannot comprehend that Karin's smile communicates that those few but precious moments might not be as broken as he hoped.
Kira is sitting at his desk when all the sounds start, flipping through a few completed pamphlets, as the patter of running feet and shouts meet his ears from outside the door. Despite his soft-spoken nature, he finds his voice as he makes his way to the hallway, reprimanding a few soldiers who run right past him. But when he stops a few to ask what's going on, it's him who's making the most noise in a rush to get outside.
The arrival of both Kurosaki Ichigo and his father has the entire Gotei Thirteen up in arms, a number of the lower ranked shinigami trying to catch snatches of the two war heroes. However, he knows immediately that something's very wrong by the detached look in Ichigo's eyes, as if something within him has splintered off and died.
Sadly enough, Kira's guess is only too accurate.
A stray hollow, one that was much too strong for Karin, Ichigo explains, fists balled and looking downright ashamed, as if it'd been him who had let her die. But the young man isn't a shinigami anymore, not really, not with the life he's trying to pave out in the World of the Living taking precedence over his usual duties. It may be the reason he blames himself more than anyone else involved.
When he knows his son has reached his limit, Isshin explains that they've come to find her, saying that her spirit had been purged of quickly. Vaguely he can hear the eldest son cursing the no-name shinigami that sent his sister off before her body was even cold, not even giving her time to say her goodbyes. But Kira knows he doesn't really blame the man on duty; he's too busy placing the responsibility on himself. To have so much power and yet not be able to save one of your most beloved people is a problem that only the nearly invincible have, one that Ichigo continues to struggle with even at twenty-five years old.
They coordinate among each other about what should be done. The orange-haired Kurosaki is ready to shotgun it, fly around Soul Society and track his sister down, regardless of whether anyone wanted to help or not. His father, thankfully, is more levelheaded, suggesting that they wait it out a few days. Karin is a smart girl and while unfamiliar with the place, she's not the type to lose her common sense in a hard position. Either she'll find her way to the capitol on her own or determine some way to alert them.
It's easy to tell what the better plan is and they all vote unanimously on it, though Ichigo makes a show of pouting and griping that has Rukia kicking him in the stomach. As he watches the small girl beat down her one-time student, Kira is beside himself, not sure whether to break them up or let it pass. A rough shake of Renji's head and a snide smirk tells him that he won't be able to do much about them anyway.
As they make their way out of the conference room, he spies a familiar head of white, strangely towering over the others. The formerly diminutive taichou of the Tenth is all regality and self-composure at the ripe age of eighty-seven human years, managing to transform into the man before him. Beside him, Hinamori Momo is smiling sweetly, speaking in her usual quick speed and excited gestures that are solely reserved for her childhood friend. Inside him, Kira has to stifle the stab of jealousy it incites before turning his inquisitive gaze away. Because while there have been many things that have changed in the last ten years, this aspect isn't one of them.
What he misses when he shirks past them is the cloudy impatience that's settled into Toushirou's gaze.
.
.
Only three days later and another commotion startles Kira from his work, the thundering of footsteps jolting him out of his seat and leaving him just as perplexed as before. But this time, he doesn't stop anyone to ask about it and instead finds himself falling into the crush of officers, hearing snatches of conversation around him. When he processes all the tidbits, his eyes widen in shock.
"… A soul is demanding to be let in…"
"… Said she didn't want to fight the gatekeepers…"
"… Not even a shinigami…"
The only conclusion he can draw is that Kurosaki Karin has arrived in Seireitei in a fashion befitting her family. Through a crowd of uninvolved but overly curious unranked soldiers, he fights his way through them to the handful of other officers they have arrived before him. Why this many of the Gotei Thirteen's leaders are needed to greet a single soul is beyond him though. Perhaps she should feel grateful that her disturbance has knocked the entire army for a loop.
From where he stands, he can see how anxious Ichigo is, twitching in his sandals as he flexes his fingers. A part of him is surprised the wall is still intact considering the way he charged in the first time he'd come across it, though it was the opposite side he was standing on then. As they raise the white slab, Kira has to keep his jaw firmly in place when he sees what's happening on the other side, his surprise warring with his need to set an example. He's not quite sure he manages even that much.
With her hands set firmly on her hips, he sees a speck of female dust in the distance, a tiny character in comparison to the giant Jidanbou. And while he thinks he's a bit too far to judge, they seem to be in an argument, as he notices the woman who he assumes to be Karin pointing at the gatekeeper and telling him off accordingly. It's absurd that someone so small can handle anyone like the respected shinigami, but if there's anyone who would be able to it'd probably be another Kurosaki.
Ichigo is already at the entrance before it's even one-fourth of the way up, as the two standing outside look over at what's occurred behind the gate's guardian while they weren't paying attention. Recognizing the flash of orange, Jidanbou lets his friend through and watches as he nearly takes down his little sister in glee. The confused shock is almost hysterical on his oversized mug, but Kira's too busy rushing forward along with the other lieutenants to give it more than a passing notice.
Wrapped up in her brother's arms, Kira can see that the little girl from Karakura is no longer such. Although her eyes spark and her face screws up as she tries to wrestle her way from Ichigo's grip, even he can say that she's a beauty. He doesn't doubt that the men of Soul Society will be smitten with her at first glance.
"I'm fine, Ichi-nii! Just let go, you idiot!" Karin screams in dismay, finally extracting herself with a particularly hard push. Knocked to the ground by the excessive force, Ichigo can only watch as she crosses her arms over her chest, glaring down at him in irritation. "Although it's nice to see you too, I've only been gone a few days, not years. There's no need for the hysterics, really."
"But, Karin, you're dead," he points out, as he rights himself and dusts the dirt from his shihakusho. It's a weighty subject, but Kira sees that the younger girl doesn't even look fazed by it. "I mean, you were alive one moment and then gone the next. We didn't even have time to see you off! How can you not be angry or upset?"
"I'm not saying I wasn't," she begins, unfurling her arms and letting them hang by her sides. The carefully preceding remark is followed by a soft grin, melancholy in a way that has Kira catching his own breath in sympathy. "But there's not enough time to be upset about that, no time to grieve the fact that I've died too young. I can't undo what's been done and you can't beat yourself up about something that's not your fault." The pointed stare she pins him with tells the blonde that the woman knows her brother well, too well, if the way he shifts uncomfortably beneath her gaze means anything.
"I'm dead now, Ichi-nii. You've gotta be okay with that." A pause as she tries to smile for him, but it comes off more as a painful grimace. "You've just… got to let me go." As she calmly crosses the distance between her and him, the Third's lieutenant sees that she approaches with shuffling steps, as if afraid he'll bolt. A part of him appreciates her consideration for her brother's instability, using a mix of blunt words and concerned gestures to help push him in the right direction. She doesn't expect him to not mourn losing her, but he can tell that she doesn't want him to linger there and ponder what might've been. Her consideration touches the vice captain, as he watches her wrap herself around her brother's frozen form.
The moment is a personal one, too much so that he turns his head out of respect for the siblings. He knows that he'll never see Kurosaki Ichigo break down, not in public and certainly not right there, but if there's any time he deserves to it's now. Because he knows how hard goodbyes are, how much harder it is when one never gets to say them properly. He guesses that's why he empathizes with them so much.
As he does his best to not listen in, his eyes catch on Hitsugaya-taichou only a few yards away, staring at the pair with an unreadable look in his eyes. And even though Kira knows he's apt at reading most people well enough, he's not sure what to make of the younger man's interest. But he does recognize something there, something that has his eyes widening in partial understanding.
Because he knows that emotion anywhere, is too well acquainted with it to not distinguish it even on another's face. The main reason he's so taken aback is because it's coming from the man of ice himself, a leader who has closed himself off except to a very privileged few. He can't even begin to comprehend that someone as reserved as the Tenth's captain could have feelings even Kira is afraid to acknowledge most days.
That Hitsugaya Toushirou stares at Karin with emotion relative to what he himself feels for Momo has him clenching his eyes shut, a cocktail of vast relief, strong guilt and other unpleasant sensations filling him. All he knows is that things are changing and they will never be the same.
From the get-go, Hinamori is more than a little wary of the Kurosaki Karin. She's too ill-mannered one minute and then too callous the next, the flip-flopping of one's mood a dangerous trait to have as a developing shinigami. But, contrary to what others might say or think of her, Momo doesn't hate her.
To be honest, she doubts anyone can truly dislike the young spirit, who carries off a strangely controlled persona but then smiles widely a few seconds later, breaking that first impression with sly words and quick wit. She wins over allies much like her older brother does. She creates her own path with the power she's been blessed with and people become attracted to that personality, to the vision she has for herself and her future. In the wake of her dreaming, she captures respect and animosity simultaneously and that, Hinamori supposes, is the reason why even her enemies admit that she's on a level of her own.
Her transition into Shino Academy is a successful one, though that's no surprise to any person even slightly aware of her family's reputation. Her potential has professors whispering of another genius in their midst and her popularity with students is high, though she claims not to know anything about it. But while she excels in intelligence and ability, her awareness of others is something Momo thinks she lacks. That 'go-at-my-own-pace' attitude might work as a student, but not so much when one is placed in a division. Because a squad requires giving up one's beliefs and aspirations for the group, the greater good, and she has a feeling that the strongest family born from Soul Society isn't used to such a trade-off.
When she tells Hitsugaya her thoughts, she's surprised to find that he doesn't share her vision, not at all.
"While I don't disagree that Karin's a little more reckless than most, she's proven herself to be proficient in her studies and with prominent leadership abilities. Any of the divisions would be lucky to have her," he murmurs softly over a newly brewed cup of green tea, sipping as he looks up at her. While they usually don't make it a habit to gossip about their friends and acquaintances, Momo is more than a little surprised that he doesn't see her as the ticking time bomb that she is. Powerful and capable, to be sure, but also a danger to others if not properly handled.
"She's amazing. I agree with that," she begins, choosing her words carefully, "but she's not the type to take orders well, nor do I think she can separate herself from a mission emotionally, not like we have to sometimes." As she speaks, her stare is forced away by the power of his; she forgets how naked she feels beneath the glow of his irises, more so now than ever. "I'm just… I don't know. Worried, I guess?"
Unlike his usual treading, his words are straightforward, cutting in a way she hasn't heard before. "Do you not like Karin?"
"No!" The outburst shocks her for a moment, her composure gone quickly as she tries to reassemble it. But it's the way his eyes gleam, protective and just a little accusatory, that has her stumbling to put a wall between them. For the first time in the decades they've known each other, Momo doesn't know how to act around Hitsugaya. "No, it's not that I dislike her…"
"But you don't like her much either, do you?" Although he says it in question fashion, somehow it sounds like a statement and, as she sputters to deny it, she's horrified to find that he might not be wrong.
In her whole life, Hinamori has never truly hated a person. She'd even had a big enough heart to forgive Aizen-taichou, as disgustingly painful and difficult it was. Because she knew she'd never be whole if she didn't and, as much as the betrayal had burned her very core, it was her way of finding closure so as to make room for a new love, a better person to look up to and adore.
But Kurosaki Karin is a separate entity entirely, an unnamed category that she's not quite comfortable with. Despite the good amount of time she's been here, they don't do much more than greet each other, smiling politely and making small talk as they wait for someone to ease the tension. Those people usually come in the form of Matsumoto or Kira or Renji and occasionally Hitsugaya when he finds the time to break his routine and pretend he's not carrying the world on his shoulders. But even then, Momo thinks he might be a part of her previously unacknowledged animosity.
When she notices how silent the room has become, instead of answering his question, she turns away and runs.
Nearly a week later, Hinamori is still chewing on his words, the sagely voice of her childhood friend playing on repeat. But you don't like her much either… It's not that, she tells herself again and again, shoulders hunching as she sighs and tucks her folder against her chest, shaking her head of the notion. It's not hate or dislike or even indifference, but there's something about the girl that throws her off, makes her watch her as if she can't be trusted.
But Shirou trusts her, so why can't that be enough? And she knows it should be, but the fact that it's not forces doubt into her mind. As she makes her way down the hall, she pauses in front of the Tenth's office, her duty to deliver the documents only an excuse to visit her friend. Maybe another talk will give her clarity, or at least that's what she reasons, as she motions to knock on the door.
But there's a distinctly female voice on the other side, one that nearly has her dropping the papers to the ground. Accompanied by the familiar alto, she hears Toushirou responding with emotion she rarely gets out of him these days, an angry tirade that sounds more like routine than actual heat. Together, they sound like a perfectly in-tune duet, with Karin's laughter only moving to compliment their harmony. Praying that they don't spot her eavesdropping, Hinamori slides the door ajar, just barely able to see Toushirou at his desk and staring at a woman clad in red and white Academy robes. She doesn't need to see her face to know who she is.
"Don't you have homework, Karin?" he asks, unsubtly forcing himself to continue his work, the idea of strangling the girl nearly apparent on the wrinkles of his forehead. Only a year here and yet the student commands his attention in a way that even higher-ups have difficulty gaining, Momo muses with a small frown.
"Why do that when you're here, slaving away, just begging to be distracted?" Although it's phrased inquisitively, Karin's shrug gives off a nonchalance that morphs it into a statement. Hinamori knows that if anyone else did something so flagrantly impolite, the younger man would've called them out on it, reprimanded them for not knowing their place. But it's Karin, and she lives above his rules as far as Hitsugaya's concerned.
"Then perhaps it's time for you to finish it while I continue 'slaving away,' as you so quaintly put it." The scratching of a pen and the shuffling of papers can be heard but only for a moment.
"Aww, but you'd miss me, wouldn't you, Toushirou?" she teases, the tinkling in her voice bright and cheery, nothing at all like her usual monotone.
It's a rarity, seeing her so friendly and open, especially with someone as guarded as Hitsugaya. But Momo has come to realize that they become different people when they're with each other. It's as if the atmosphere turns lighter, attitudes grow more playful, and smiles appear more readily on their faces. From across the desk, she can see Karin ruffle the captain's overgrown bangs, laughing at the growl she earns in response. But even as he glares at her from beneath the fringe, righting it by combing his fingers through it, Toushirou doesn't look nearly as annoyed as he would have if any other person had done it.
While his companion points a finger, chuckling about how he hasn't changed at all, Momo can hear how the lighthearted indictment has no real accusation in it. In fact, Hinamori muses that he might actually be enjoying the attention, as Karin leans forward and tempts him with the idea of playing hooky for the day. The resounding roll of eyes is all parts sarcastic, but the warmth in them doesn't diminish in the slightest, a candid amiability he refuses to show anyone but a very close few.
And, suddenly, it dawns on her.
That look on Toushirou's face… Taking in those softened features, Momo finds that maybe she doesn't truly dislike Karin, at least, not her as a person. No, it's the girl that makes Toushirou look like that—like he's young and irresponsible and immature, like the little boy she grew up with nearly a century ago and not the compulsorily matured leader he's become—that she's come to detest. Because it means he's found a place in his heart to care about someone so sincerely that he's willing to regress a little, finding peace in a young girl he's known only a fraction of the time he's spent with so many others.
She's different are the words that filter to the front of her head, as she sees him abandon his work and recline for a bit to spar verbally and shoot sly smirks he never shows anyone else. Somewhere deep inside him in a place even he doesn't know exists, little Shirou-chan might love Kurosaki Karin more than he's ever loved anyone else. And the thought is heart breaking, gut wrenching, spirit curdling for her, his childhood friend, as she comes to grips with the fact that it's not her that makes him feel that way. Because even though she has no right to feel as if her heart's been broken, Momo senses a strange pang of loss against her rib cage, as if she's missing out on something she can't quite put her finger on.
Later on, she'll acknowledge that timing is everything in love.
Fuji Mizuno may be Kurosaki's classmate, but he isn't her friend. It's what he tells himself when he sees her cornered by another senior, one larger than the two of them combined. Her small body is stuck between the Academy building and the well-known bully who enjoys nothing more than the sight of tear-streaked faces and stumbling pleas. However, Mizuno isn't surprised when Kurosaki Karin does neither of these things, as she crosses her arms over her chest and meets his arrogant gaze with haughtiness that even makes him flinch in the distance.
"Is there anything I can do for you?" she asks, her voice even and light, hiding the black edge of sarcasm she's famous for. Her reputation is legendary, a woman who is as beautiful as she is deadly, acting as the standard by which all the female students compare themselves to. Unsurprisingly, the majority come up lacking.
"You're just as cute as they said you'd be," the large man leers, taking in the calm face that's starting to twist into a snarl, one that Mizuno knows means trouble for the other party. If there's one thing that Karin can't stand, it's being judged by rumors rather than her capabilities. It's happened often enough that she's become conditioned to hate any sort of gossip that comes her way.
"Good to know that my reputation precedes me." She eyes him up and down, scorn contouring her fairness. "I'm afraid that it's one-sided though. I have no idea who you are."
"Choujin, Choujin Nami," the brown-haired man says proudly, as if he's someone she's supposed to know. And while Karin goes through a mental list of people she's heard of, this particular moniker escapes her, or at least that's what the boy in the bushes figures. She has a strangely animated look on for a passive façade.
"Never heard of you."
Wincing, even Mizuno finds her shrug offensive, as if she couldn't care less about her opponent. And from the rush of color on Choujin's face, it's easy to see that he doesn't take to her tactics well. Mizuno still doesn't understand why every man who comes to challenge and win over the dark-haired girl tries to intimidate her with their strength or impress her with tales of their heroism. After spending the last year together, he knows that the only things that speak to Kurosaki are swords, fists and actions, three objects she was particularly skilled at using.
"Well it's fine if you're not well informed. Not everyone can keep up with all the talk around this place." There's something about the condescending way he speaks, as if she's a child that doesn't know any better, that makes Karin's eyes flicker with undecipherable emotion. Death might be an apt description, the cowardly boy contemplates with a small sense of pity.
"Or maybe you're just not worth talking about," she spits back, hands sliding to her hips as she tilts one to the side, looking all parts challenging, somehow predatory. On a male, it would've been intimidating, daunting like a true grim reaper over a dead body. But on a face as sweet and contradicting as hers, she manages to look like she's seducing him, though anyone with even the slightest vision could tell it wasn't meant that way for Nami.
But the poor guy is as oblivious as he is stupid.
"What a pretty face you've got there." Taking a slight step forward, a large hand takes her chin between those fingers, his flattery only making her glare harder. Slapping his hand away with her wrist, a few open-handed counters has her stocky opponent on the ground, writhing in pain. Somewhere in his head, Mizuno hazily recognizes the awe mixing in with fearful wariness of the Kurosaki girl. There's a reason she's been accelerated in all of her classes, but watching her use those skills is another sight completely.
Struggling to stand, Karin doesn't even let him get that far, as she narrows her eyes and lets that disturbingly cold look cover her pretty features. She slams a foot into his back, the action gaining a grunt that's barely contained by the man's prideful lips. Mizuno isn't sure whether he finds the act justified or not, but the presence of another tells him that he doesn't have to.
"Enough, Kurosaki."
Holding in a gasp, Mizuno's large, glasses-covered eyes take in the sight of their afternoon guest speaker, a man who had risen ranks at an age half his own. Just the sound of his voice has the girl stepping back, albeit unwilling, and turning her hardened stare to the newcomer. Although it's perfunctory to bow, she doesn't.
Before either of them speak, Nami is scrambling up to apologize—to the esteemed captain and not his classmate, which Fuji finds odd but understandable considering the timing—and then bolting away to save his hide. However, neither pays attention to his departure, their stares caught singularly on each other. Now, Mizuno thinks worriedly, would be a wonderful time to get out of there, or face the wrath of two shinigami stronger than himself. That fact should be more than enough to have him running, but something in the air is changing and he can't help but act the part of detective (or voyeur, if one preferred).
Their staring match is only a moment, but it feels like an eternity, a battle of wills against two opponents that are equals in every sense of the word. And while he finds it blasphemous that anyone can even hold a candle to the legendary Hitsugaya Toushirou, the Academy student finds that he has to give that honor to his female classmate. Because she doesn't sink or wilt or wither beneath the other's heavy stare, not like anyone else he knows, making his respect for her grow.
Hitsugaya-taichou breaks the silence first. "You know better than to start a fight on school grounds, Kurosaki, especially since it's your final year. I have no idea what you're thinking, putting your place for graduation on the line because of one, single-minded boy."
"Not all of us inspire admiration wherever we go, Hitsugaya-taichou," she snorts, the sound of his name having a bit more bite than Mizuno finds necessary. It's blatant disrespect and in that moment he's scared for her. Not many get away with such insolence, but he's also aware that Karin isn't among the majority.
The captain's eyes narrow dangerously, a frown puckering his lips. "Watch your tone, Kurosaki."
Instead of replying, Karin merely returns the glare with her own, choosing silence over any scathing remark she has in her arsenal. It's strange seeing the girl who usually had a million comebacks so eerily mute, though her classmate could tell inwardly that she was disquieted. The actual thoughts in her are a mystery to him but he's aware that they're aggravating things, leaving ripples across her usually serene face. In her mind it seems as if she's decided to end their impromptu conversation, as she spins to stalk away, her body language rigid. When the captain grabs her wrist to stop her, Fuji gets the feeling that there's much more to this relationship than he initially thought.
"If you've got something to say, then now would be a good time, Kurosaki. You're acting strangely." Almost imperceptibly, his fingers loosen but they're no less firm.
From where he crouches, even Mizuno can see something in Karin snap. "I'm acting strangely?" She twists to face him, pulling her captured arm closer, though he doesn't let her go. "You've been treating me 'strangely' for the last few months, always acting cold and distant, like you could care less about what I'm saying or doing, and now you're telling me I'm weird by retaliating? Do me a favor and go to hell, Toushirou."
"Be more mindful of that mouth, Karin. Not everyone is as accommodating for you as I am," he growls beneath his breath, a warning that anyone else would've heeded. But Karin looks like a hurt panther, baring her teeth and taking up a defensive crouch to ward off her opponent. Even when cornered, the raven-haired beauty battles back with everything she has, as little as it is at the moment. When she opens her mouth again—to belittle the advice or the one giving it, Mizuno isn't sure—the older spirit moves to strike just as Mizuno sucks in a breath, falling back on his haunches with eyes widening at what he's just seen.
Hitsugaya-taichou is kissing Kurosaki Karin.
And not the innocent ones that most think of, a press of the lips and sweet words and soft breathing with matching smiles. No, it's much more than that, as a blush paints its way across Mizuno's neck and face, hiding it in his hands as he feels the heat from his cheeks. In a motion his eyes couldn't catch, the last thing he remembers seeing is the white-haired man pulling the smaller girl against him and pushing her against the aged stone of the building, trapping her there with his larger frame. But when he ducks his head down to claim her lips, Mizuno had moved away instinctively, the only clue of what happened coming in the form of a high-pitched keen, a very female one at that.
The only thing the boy can hypothesize is that Karin is very dense at understanding a man's need for space to sort out his feelings, and that Hitsugaya-taichou is just very bad (or rather good?) at handling Kurosaki Karin in general.
In the many centuries that he has led the Gotei Thirteen, Yamamoto Genryuusai has seen many different lives begin and end, times of war and peace, moments of love and parting. The last ones especially aren't always visible things, but it's definitely there when it wants to be seen.
He pretends not to see how his youngest captain is head-over-heels for Kurosaki Ichigo's sister.
A genius in her own right, Yamamoto watches her get recruited into the Ninth, much to the chagrin of the white-haired man. It's not as if there's anything wrong with the team, especially since its recovery over the last decade as it was righted by former Visored Muguruma Kensei, in conjunction with Hisagi-fukutaichou's efforts. No, it's more along the lines that he doesn't trust the pretty young woman anywhere near the philandering vice captain.
It's why he disrupts that innocent kiss at the Christmas party so many years ago, stomping around like an untamed Hollow as he drags her down the hallway before the tattooed lieutenant can even get close to her beneath the mistletoe. The impulsive act leaves a shocked Hisagi in his wake, as well as a number of startled officials, and an all-black Ichigo raring to go after them. Let it not go unsaid that a man of his caliber is even wilier when angry, though that seemed to fit Zaraki just fine. The ensuing battle has already been written in the history books under Byakuya's care, though it's a small and unworthy description to downplay the unexpected event.
From that night on, the entire world watches Hitsugaya-taichou and Kurosaki Karin's love story unfold, an unhurried metamorphosis that everyone takes pleasure in, even himself. It's been a long time since Yamamoto has seen a relationship blossom as honestly as this one, stronger than the many formed in recent decades. Perhaps it's the fact that their friendship has spanned dimensions and beaten the odds that makes it what it is, a coin for the jar of everlasting love instead of another statistic. He notices how they take the strongest qualities of past lovers and mold it to shape their own.
Like the late Shiba Kaien and Shiba Miyako, they are discrete. Never do they stand too close when they're conducting business, never a hair out of place or a gesture too comfortable. For Toushirou, appearances mean everything for he's built his reputation from the ground up and he takes care of his transgressions as such. But where another woman might not readily understand his outward distance, Genryuusai can see that Karin does, as she speaks in just the right volumes with the slightest edge of hardness for any eavesdroppers. It's a show to her, to prove that she can be his partner and a subordinate without outright demanding his respect, because she knows she already has it.
Like Kuchiki Byakuya and Kuchiki Hisana, they are in no rush. That, in spite of her illness, Hisana became a part of her husband's noble family at her own pace, never daring to rush in irrationally, even though most would've jumped at the chance. And Byakuya had waited patiently as well, letting her feel out the path she was still unsure of taking while dealing with his own betrayal of tradition to facilitate their marriage. In the end, he's sure that neither of them looked back on it with regret. Now Yamamoto can see that Karin shares this trait in that she doesn't push for more than what she's being offered, doesn't ask for more than what Toushirou can give. Yamamoto almost wants to point out that he'd give her the moon and stars and sky if she'd only ask—if she saw the way Hitsugaya hung on by a mere thread whenever she told him, in her own silent way, that she loved him—but she'd never dare form the words and he'd never push her to understand.
Like Ichimaru Gin of the Third and Matsumoto Rangiku of the Tenth, they are not written in the stars. Childhood friends who walked hand-in-hand since the beginning, Yamamoto had been so sure that they'd make it, that they'd be the couple that would break the curse of so many before them. But, alas, he knows it can never be now, not when Ichimaru chose revenge for love rather than love over revenge. His role as an anti-hero led both him and Matsumoto down a path of no return and sadly enough their story ended long before it began. In a way, that's how he see Hitsugaya-taichou and the Kurosaki girl, a love created by circumstances. Their coupling was never meant to be, never predestined or even expected, but chance had them stumbling into each other and forever entangled.
Like Kurosaki Isshin and his human wife Masaki, they are capable of the impossible. Thrown into exile and cut off from his world, another shinigami might have withered and died from loneliness. But the former shinigami captain didn't fall to pieces but instead found strength in adversity, flourishing under it. And even in the midst of building a new identity and life for himself, he falls in love with a woman who is, in every sense, his equal, no matter how human she may be. That's how Karin appears to be whenever she stands next to Toushirou; his underling in rank but an equal in life. She stands tall, sure and prideful, never averting her gaze in discomfort. She doesn't crumble before him and yet the white-haired spirit cannot seem to do the same. Sometimes, Yamamoto watches how his eyes completely melt whenever his lover speaks to him, a glow of affection that no one else understands, not even her sometimes.
Like Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia of the Thirteenth, they are inseparable. Because no matter how one looks at it, picks apart the past and tries to decipher it and all the components, the ending is the same. Everything has moved and conjoined and aligned so that those two would meet, so that someone else's diabolical plan could shake the very foundation of Seireitei and bring two very different people together. That's what Ichigo and Rukia are. And perhaps Karin and Toushirou might just be a ripple effect, an afterthought in the midst of aftershocks, but they are no less than the epicenter. Just like every partnership before them, they've found that their places are next to each other, all laws and naysayers be damned.
But, unlike all the ones before them, Yamamoto Genryuusai can see that they are carving out a new path for others to follow. They will be the archetype that will define a new generation of loves, capable of transversing all of the difficulties and hardships that so many others had fallen prey to. In this new age of peace, he doesn't doubt that they will rewrite history in a way that's never been seen before.
Knocking on the door, Kurosaki Isshin thinks he manages to keep his brave face on admirably, the oftentimes goofy-looking and unorthodox former captain subdued for the matter at hand. The slightest shuffling of cloth is heard on the other end before a light 'come in' meets his ears, the muffling making the sound even harder to hear. If he feels this nervous now, he can only imagine how Karin is faring.
And although he knows what to expect, the full force of his daughter's maturity is enough to nearly send him to his knees.
Fashioned from the finest white silk, Karin is a vision of ethereal beauty, a natural kind of splendor he hadn't known she'd possessed. In the back of his mind, memories of short hair and soccer balls and boyish mannerisms diffuse into the back of his mind, replaced by the woman she's become. The hair she'd inherited from him isn't up in a traditional knot, but instead falls at her shoulders, romancing her feminine appeal. It's the only non-traditional aspect she's allowed on herself, as everything else reflects the staunch and upright nature that Seireitei expects from its most distinguished.
"Hey, Dad, you still in there?" Waving a hand, a frown mars her otherwise pretty face, her hands going to her hips in that signature pose of hers. It makes him chuckle that of all the things she's outgrown it seems that one habit will stay. He deems it to be in his best interest to not tell her that assuming such a stance makes her look very odd in the layers upon layers of cloth. His little girl has a mean left hook, after all.
"You look beautiful, Karin," he murmurs with a smile, taking in the unexpected redness that dances across her cheeks. For a moment, she looks stunned before the feeling melts into something more similar to embarrassment.
"Thanks…" She reaches out for him when he moves next to her and offers his arm, refusing to meet his proud beam. Never one for attention, the ex-shinigami knows his daughter is merely taken aback by his honesty, too used to jived up gesticulations and exaggerated praises. She's also still a bit unbelieving of her own attractiveness, though any male within thirty feet would call her such. Accepting praise gracefully is something Hitsugaya will have to help her with, Isshin thinks as he leads her out of the room.
The walk is short, silent, and maybe just a little melancholy. This will be their last moment as Kurosaki's together before she hands down her name and takes on a new one, a title that she will wear with both joy and sadness. Joy because it's his name she's receiving and her old man knows that nothing would make her happier. But sadness weighs heavy, as she parts with a piece of her identity that she's always worn proudly, a badge of courage in the face of others' enmity and expectations.
But, no matter what happens today, Karin will always be his little girl.
He wants to tell her that, but the words get gobbled up in his throat, stuck to the lining of his esophagus and broken down before they can reach his tongue. It makes swallowing difficult, as they approach the large doors that have all of their family and friends on the other side, waiting for their big entrance. But, in an ill-timed moment of weakness, Isshin is at a loss for words for once, rendered speechless as he comprehends that he's giving one of his precious daughters away to another man.
"Hey, Goat Chin?" Karin whispers, voice airy and unsure, as she adopts a nickname she hasn't used since she was eleven. Within him, something between a laugh and a cry exits his mouth, eyes growing wet with tears he hadn't known he'd been holding in. But the older man puts on a smile and nods, not quite looking at her as he wills the moisture away.
But when Karin looks up at him, the dam breaks and he lets a few fall across his aged face. Those big, glassy eyes that have always seen through him and everyone else around her are filled with all the love a girl can give her father, the softness of her expression making her almost fragile. She doesn't wipe his tears or comfort him, but instead eyes him steadily as she always has. For an instant, time has frozen and somehow Isshin is grateful for it, this one last eternity for him to cherish and hoard in the treasure chest of memories he hides inside himself.
And it's then that he sees that she looks so much like her mother on their wedding day, exquisite and shining brightly, as if a crown jewel set in place. It makes the signal from a coordinator so very bittersweet, as he tells him that the doors will open in one minute. But even if the moment has gone, the memory doesn't fade from his mind's eye. Reaching up in a quick tiptoe, Karin presses her lips to her father's cheek and mumbles, "I love you, Daddy." He doesn't have the strength to tell her that he already knows.
As everyone watches them walk down the aisle, he doesn't see everyone's approving glances, happy faces or waving hands. Instead, his eyes go straight to Hitsugaya at the altar and that look that says so much more than any number of words he's ever spoken. There's amazement, an awe that so many seek but never find, in his features, as his cerulean eyes follow Karin, unabashedly stunned and so obviously in love. It's all he needs to see because he knows that this man will forever cherish Karin as his own.
Isshin convinces himself that he's not giving her away, not really. He's merely sharing her with another man, a man who might just love her even more than he does.
Even after ten years of watching her parents together, Masaki still thinks her parents are entirely too lovey-dovey for a couple with over thirty years under their belt. As she sits at the table and finishes her crayon-filled drawing, she sees her mother dressed in a plain kimono, her shihakusho confined to her closet for the time being. And although she knows her mother would prefer it, her dad doesn't want Karin anywhere near it at the moment.
Not when she's so close to her due date.
Trailing her dark jade eyes downwards, the only child of the Hitsugaya family can barely contain the smile on her face, looking much like a human toddler instead of her actual age. She always tells her parents she wants a boy this time around, causing Karin to laugh and explain that one can't choose a sibling's gender just because she wants it. When she turns away, Toushirou whispers in a very sure voice that it's most likely a boy. Needless to say that, even though she adores her mother, Masaki loves her father just a tiny bit more.
As the former Kurosaki goes around the kitchen, stirring and mixing and measuring like the seasoned pro she's become, her daughter can't help but watch with something akin to idol worship. Despite the fact that her mother's been on maternity leave from the Gotei Thirteen for nearly two years, her reputation is more than respectable, borderlining her husband's impeccable record even. To say that it bothers Toushirou that younger shinigami, most often male, feel the need to strike up a conversation and shower Karin with compliments is an understatement. His little girl doesn't tell him that Mama only pretends to act flattered because she knows he gets jealous of their attentive gazes (as if they stood a chance against her father, she smiles with a roll of her eyes).
But Masaki thinks, as she rests her arms on the wooden table and her head atop them, that her parents might just be the most sickeningly happy people she's ever met (and truly she's seen many in her short lifespan). It doesn't show when they're in public of course, not with so many eyes on them and the expectation of propriety set so firmly in place, but at home they're different. Holding hands, soft kisses, an unexpected gesture or two, those are novelties that she's come to see as normal. And even though it's far into the future, Masaki has no doubt she'll have to marry someone at least half as affectionate as her father, or she'll never be happy. A terribly high standard but sometimes a girl has to make sacrifices in the name of love.
With the sound of the sliding door reaching their ears, Masaki perks up visibly, a toothy grin spreading across her rounded face. Jumping from her seat and into the living room, her scream of glee is met with Toushirou's fatherly beam, as he grabs her by the waist and tosses her into the air. Yes, she doesn't know if she'll ever find a man half as perfect as her father, but little Masaki knows she'll have to try.
.
.
From the kitchen, Karin can hear her daughter's laughter, her own content smile passing over her lips as she places a hand on her abdomen. She can't imagine how much more mayhem two children will cause in their household.
Chuckling at the thought, she doesn't hear Toushirou come in until he's directly behind her and planting a kiss on her cheek, his hand moving around her distended waist to rest on top of hers. The way he curls his fingers with hers, strong and protective in a way that's almost possessive, has her turning around to greet him with a helplessly happy 'welcome home.' As she does, she also sees their daughter has roosted atop her husband's shoulders, as she smiles down at her mom and waves, clutching her father's silver locks.
"What were you thinking about that was so funny?" he murmurs softly into her ear, moving to take both of her hands in his. The gesture is a gently coaxing one, honest in a way that Toushirou is still so terrible at being sometimes. Over the years, Karin finds that they may be the part of him she likes best.
"Oh, nothing," she replies, her eyes twinkling. It'll bother him endlessly until she confesses and she knows it, as she turns around and moves to finish her cooking. Even now, Toushirou is as predictable as he was when he was a child; he latches onto his wife's back and mumbles something incomprehensible into her hair, which only serves to make her laugh.
"Eew, get a room!" Masaki yells as she pulls at her father's strands, sticking her tongue out and downwards at the couple of no-longer newlyweds. Someone needs tell them that that boat has sailed off into the horizon already.
"Why is everyone being mean to me today?" Toushirou asks no one in particular, as Karin laughs out loud and he lifts his little girl from his shoulders to the floor. "C'mon Masaki, time to fix the table."
At the words, she's rushing into the dining room on her own, telling him to bring in the china and she'll set it up 'all by myself.' He moves to the high cupboards to grab their dishware, but not before passing by Karin one last time to catch her attention. When she looks up at him, confused at his constant disturbing today, she's met by the softest pair of lips she's ever kissed, their natural coolness parting hers and diving in for the smallest taste.
Even now, she's caught off-guard by Toushirou's unexpected passion.
But then he's gone the next second, walking into the dining room with everything perfectly balanced in his hands. How he manages to keep his poise every time he stuns her is a mystery she won't ever understand. It doesn't help that Karin finds that, even though he's left the room, her lips sting heavily with Toushirou's affection, the tang of a love that promises to grow even sweeter sits heavy enough for her to feel through her skin. She brings a steady hand to her tingling mouth, as the smile that flits across her face settles in for the rest of the night.
THE END
AN: And that's all, folks~ Please drop me a line and tell me what you think. It's probably going to be a while until my next update but please look forward to those. I promise I'm gonna go back to The Plan and finish that up, as well as work on Go Against the Grain. Thank you so much for reading and all your support over the last few months. I hope you guys have a wonderful summer~
Until next time! :D
